Star Athletes and Celebrities Ignite MLP Phoenix: Six Premier Level teams from Major League Pickleball are heading to Arizona for the Edward Jones 2025 MLP Phoenix event, which begins Thursday, May 29, at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa. Each team will play six matches in four days, facing every other team once.
Teams Set to Compete
The Premier teams playing at 2025 MLP Phoenix include the Atlanta Bouncers, Brooklyn Pickleball Team, Dallas Flash, Los Angeles Mad Drops, Phoenix Flames, and SoCal Hard Eights. These teams will battle in a round-robin format, with each playing one match against the other five.
This setup ensures high-level matchups every day of the event. The competition begins at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday and Friday, 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 1.
All matches will be streamed on Pickleballtv, giving fans a chance to follow their favorite players and teams throughout the tournament.
Teams Sitting Out
Nine Premier teams will not take part in 2025 MLP Phoenix. These teams are the Carolina Hogs, Chicago Slice, Columbus Sliders, Miami Pickleball Club, New Jersey 5s, New York Hustlers, Orlando Squeeze, St. Louis Shock, and Texas Ranchers.
No teams from the Challenger Level will play at this event. The Phoenix stop is solely for Premier Level competition.
Celebrity Pro-Am Adds Star Power
A special one-hour Celebrity Pro-Am event is scheduled for Saturday, May 31. The exhibition will feature celebrities teaming up with some of the top professional pickleball players in the world.
Confirmed to appear are Jake Plummer, a former NFL quarterback and Arizona State University star; James Valentine, lead guitarist of Maroon 5; and Eric Byrnes, a former Arizona Diamondbacks player.
This Pro-Am will be held during the evening session and is expected to bring even more excitement to the weekend.
What It Means for MLP
2025 MLP Phoenix is a key stop in the Major League Pickleball season. Teams competing here will have a chance to gain valuable wins and improve their rankings before the next event.
The round-robin format ensures fairness and excitement, as every team will face the same opponents. Fans can look forward to top-level play and memorable moments.
The Celebrity Pro-Am adds fun and brings new viewers to the sport, showing how pickleball continues to grow in popularity across different communities.
News in Brief: Star Athletes and Celebrities Ignite MLP Phoenix
Six Premier Level teams will compete at 2025 MLP Phoenix from May 29 to June 1 in Mesa, Arizona. Each team plays six matches. A special Celebrity Pro-Am on May 31 features Jake Plummer, James Valentine, and Eric Byrnes. Matches air live on Pickleballtv. No Challenger teams will compete.